the elven hero
by fiona.boyle.5832
Summary: Cuthalion is an elf of the greenwood-mirkwood- he sets out to find and adventure and finds one although not what he was expecting. His friend Idril works for king Oropher-Thranduil's father- as a captain of the guards. She finds a friend in her job as well which may lead to a new war against the dwarves and elves. it takes place long long before the hobbit. please R&R .NO SLASH.


Mirkwood was dense and heavy woodland. It made up mostly of the eastern part of the Rhovanion. There was a Sindarian elven king who ruled there: King Oropher. He was a wise king and ruled the lands fair and properly. When king Oropher ruled Mirkwood the ancestors of the Northmen started approaching the outskirts of Mirkwood forest. The elves did not like when men would move to their land, But Oropher did not dislike men and did not like to wage war. He let them live only on the outskirts of Mirkwood. The elves gave them supplies. They lived in peace for a very long time. The elves were magical people that most men feared but they rarely used magic unless they were in very much danger. Giant spiders lived there, but lived a good distance away. They usually did not bother the elves for the spiders were frightened by them. The Elves lived in the trees. The Mirkwood forest had the largest of trees. They were so tall the people made their homes on them. The palace of Oropher was very large and beautiful. The gates guarding it were magical. The only way a man could pass through them was if another elf was passing through.

The elves guarding the king were dressed in silver armour with red chest plates. The swords in their sheathes, and arrows buckled up against their backs. Their bows were made from the mallorn tree.

Hardly able to breath the elf stood up with his hands on his chest, just having been kicked by one of his mares. She had taken fright from nothing, and was not enjoying her first time ever to be ridden. The elf was glad that he was still able to breathe, though he stood up swaying a little. He fell back over, however, for he had not yet regained his strength. His eyes were blank from the lesion. He rested, sprawled out on the wooden floor. He was slowly regaining his strength but he still was in great pain. The mare walked up innocently and pulled on his collar as he rested his hand on her nostrils.

"Cúthalion"

An elf called from outside of the stable. It startled Cúthalion and his mare. He pulled himself up and quickly started combing the horse. The stable door swung open and a silver haired elf stepped in. She was beautiful, her long silver hair flowed down to her waist and her green eyes stayed fixedly on him. His head spun dizzily, but it would soon go away, he thought to himself. He hurriedly pulled out a dazzling white blanket and swung it over the mares back.

"Now you behave yourself, Elwing." Cúthalion whispered into the horse's ear. Elwing seemed to hear for she held still immediately.

"Idril, do you want me to accompany you?" Cúthalion asked.

"No, you must stay to your duties." She said smiling at him. Idril swung herself up onto the horse. She galloped out of the stable and into the fresh air. She was dazzling; Cúthalion thought to himself and retreated to his duties.

Cúthalion loved working with the horses but sometimes it got a little boring for the horses were asleep a lot. He would often doze off into daydreams whilst he was there.

Nightfall came and Cúthalion was grooming Elwing after Idril had returned from hunting practically all day. She came in with nothing very lugubrious about it all.

"We found nothing and nobody seemed confident at all." Idril said looking very annoyed. She sat down heavily in a chair.

"I could always help, you know." Cúthalion said softly. She looked up at him, but not with the annoyed expression but with a soft and kind one. Idril was a proud hunter and did not generally come home empty-handed.

"What went wrong then?" Cúthalion asked her. She did not respond but sat there in thought. After a period of time she got up and walked solemnly out of the room. Cúthalion started to follow but thought better of it.

"Well Elwing, you and I have a big day tomorrow." He said to the horse and she seemed to understand what he was talking about.

He could not see anything but the red sunset glaring down at him and it impaled on his delicate white skin, he was not used to it he could not stand it he must get out but there was no way out. He stood there frozen unable to move. He was sure to die, he wanted to die but he could not he could only stand there looking at it. He had never seen anything like it but somehow he remembered, he saw the people lying there as still as the barren land that lied before what was happening he thought but it was just getting worse….

Cúthalion bolted upright. He blinked and rubbed his eyes to make sure it was not real. He looked around him but he did not see the barren land that he had seen just moments before. He only saw the familiar room, the horses chomping on their hay. Cúthalion flopped back down on the pile of hay he had fallen asleep on the previous hours. It was still dark out and the only sound was the peeping crickets and the owls hooting in their slumber.

The hours passed by very slowly but Cúthalion could not sleep. He looked out the stable doors and saw that there was no one; they must have all been asleep. Something flashed into his mind; the lifeless bodies. But he pushed it out of his mind for he knew it was not true.

The next morning Idril walked into the stable. She looked around and saw Cúthalion still sleeping softly. She was going hunting again, and she needed her horse, but she decided to do it herself. She flung the saddle over Elwing's back and hopped up onto her back. She raced out of the stable and out into the woods. Idril and the other hunters did not ride the horses while they were hunting for they would make too much noise and would get caught in the thicket, but they rode them till the depths of the forest.

Cúthalion opened his eyes at the sound of the doors opening.

"Still asleep I see then?" a voice came from behind him. He turned around and saw Idril.

"What is the time?" he asked.

"Half past noon and I've already done it for you." She said simply and turned to leave.

"Wait!" he called after her. She stopped in her tracks.

"I know, it's the same for all of us." And she walked off leaving Cúthalion gaping at her.

What she was talking about Cúthalion did not know but what he did now was that she knew something that had to do with his dream. "I know, it's the same for all of us." The words flickered in his mind. He thought of the bodies lying as still as the barren land that laid before him in his dream. He stood up and walked over to the door. "I must get some fresh air." He said aloud and walked out. His lungs sucked in the fresh air. It felt wonderful to be free again. He walked to the gates and stopped. There were seven guards at each post. He walked up to one and said something in elvish "Edro, no diriel" the guard stood aside and let him through. "Tancave." The guard said and Cúthalion walked past. He hooked his hover of arrows onto his back and buckled his sword into his belt. He readied his bow for there were many creatures lurking in Mirkwood forest.

He had been walking for three hours straight and was getting tire. He heard movement beyond him but it did not frighten him for he heard the noises often. He figured they were probably wolves or giant spiders. He sat down on a fell tree. He took out his sword and started to polish it. He heard a noise closer than it was before. He stood up quickly and turned around. He did not see anything. It was dead silent now and Cúthalion did not like it that way. He held his sword up in front of him. Something jumped on him from behind and he fell flat over on his face. Cúthalion rolled over and saw a wolf. It was bigger than just any normal wolf. He felt around for his sword but he could not find it. His heart was pounding fast. The giant wolf stepped over him and breathed its hot breath on his face. Cúthalion did only what could be done; he twisted his hands up and threw a bolt of lightning at the wolf. It howled with pain and ran away with its tail behind its legs. Cúthalion jumped up and grabbed his sword which was right behind him. He walked on but at a quicker pace.

Another six hours he walked on for he was afraid to stop again. He wanted to see the Northmen's ancestors up close for he had heard stories of them but never seen them. Cúthalion meant to just go for stroll but he decided to go and see the Northmen since it was not too far away. Would he get lost in this forest or would he even survive the night from the giant spiders and the wolf that he made very angry and she would probably get a pack to go and hunt him down while he was unaware, he thought while he was walking. What if everything in the dream was real? What if he did get stuck in that barren land with the sun glaring down at him? He tried to push the thoughts out of his mind but they just kept coming back. Well if that was going to happen, then he would let it come for he could not change it. He often thought of Idril and what she would think of him after this. He stumbled over something. He got up again and looked around for what had tripped him. It was dark so any normal person could not have seen it but as you know elves have particularly good eyesight Cúthalion spotted it immediately; it was a corpse. He gasped at the sight of it and jumped back. It was short and had a torn up face. There were pieces of armour lying about it. Cúthalion could not make out what it was but he knew it was not an elf. He jabbed his sword at the corpse. It was not very old for the skin did not fade away into dust. He dusted himself off and started to back away but right them something caught his eye; gold. He picked it up and examined it. The piece of gold had runes and after a bit of examining he found that it was not just a piece of gold after all, it was some sort of knife. Looking carefully he saw runes on it. He read it, but at first he did not understand it but suddenly he realized what it said, It read; Orc slayer. Cúthalion put it in his pocket and walked off. The knife was very blunt for it had been lying on the forest floor for 100's of years.

Idril came home again empty-handed. She came in through the stable door expecting Cúthalion to be waiting for her but she did not. She looked around for him until she decided that he was doing something with the horses. She sat down and rested for a while. She was bored with herself for she had no one to talk to, so she decided to go and find Cúthalion. She had just left the stable when one of her companions came up to her and said "milady have you seen the stable boy by any chance?"

"Well no, but I was just going to look for him, why?" Idril responded.

"Well he hasn't fed the horses, well so says Lasglorvel, and he says that he hasn't seen him all day and that he hasn't been doing his duties lately." He told her with a little bow.

"Oh! Well it's my fault so don't tell Lasglorvel anything." She told him with a threatening look that meant: or else I will deal with you. The elf made a polite bow and left without another word. Where could he be? She thought. She walked out of the stable and walked faster than usual to the palace.

She opened the doors to the beautiful palace of king Oropher. The inside was just as beautiful as the outside. The ceiling was vast and long and decorated with bright jewels. Idril was the captain of the guards in the palace so she had a high place there. King Oropher highly respected her. They often worked together in their tasks.

The palace had many passage ways that lead to various places. King Oropher having been seated on his thrown got up immediately after seeing Idril coming to him.

"Oh good I was hoping that you would come to see me." Oropher said smiling kindly at her.

"Yes my lord I would never forget, but I did have a question for you." Idril said thinking of how she should put it.

"Anything, but quickly for Lasglorvel needs to tell me something very important." Oropher snorted as if he did not actually think that it was important.

"Well….. Have you seen the stable boy today?" she asked awkwardly.

"No, why would you ask?" Oropher asked, confused.

"Well... he has not been seen for a whole day and he has not been happy for some reason and…." She stuttered.

"Are you saying he might have just left?" he asked her.

"He would never do that." She said trying to hold back her tears.

"I-" he was cut short by a hissing voice from behind him.

"My Lord, have you forgotten?" it said.

Oropher whirled around being startled at the sudden appearance of Lasglorvel.

"Silence you." He bellowed getting the whole palaces attention. They stared at him in amazement. He was as red as the sun or he felt it anyways. He did not like being interrupted especially being the king. Lasglorvel stepped back but did not seem to be surprised. Oropher looked around at everyone. He looked at Lasglorvel with fire in his eyes. Oropher stormed off towards a room were sat a dwarf. The dwarf stood up and closed the door behind Oropher. The dwarf sat down again followed by king Oropher.

"You know why I am here." The dwarf said in a deep and gruff voice. He had a long grey beard and was about five feet tall and had numerous braids in his hair. He looked very stout and hardly had a neck at all. His gauntlets were made of gold and his boots of fur. His breastplate had dwarven designs around it and a beautiful gem in the middle. He had two axes on his back and two in his belt. He looked very unpleasant to be around for he had scars on his face and did not smile at Oropher in the least bit. The dwarf took out a knife and started flinging it onto the table.

"What do you want with me?" Oropher asked with an angry voice.

"Ha, don't try that, it just won't work on me, do not think me imprudent." The dwarf said frowning at Oropher.

"I do not think you imprudent I merely don't want any more trouble." Oropher said a little annoyed.

"Well are you going to listen to what I've got to say?" the dwarf said impatiently.

"Yes." Oropher said.

"Well, if you don't pay us our gold we shall rise up against you and take it. I highly advise you to do as I command." The dwarf said

"I take orders from no one, especially dwarves who attempt to kill my people." Oropher said his anger returning.

"It is not wise to decline my offer that quickly." The dwarf said.

"Well I have an offer for you." Oropher snapped at him.

"Do tell." The dwarf said mockingly.

"If you leave us alone we shall leave the dwarves alone. What do you say?"

"Ha and what if we don't, eh?" the dwarf said.

"Then there shall be another battle of the dwarves and the elves." Oropher said.

"That gold belongs to the dwarves." The dwarf's face was turning red. King Oropher started to leave the room but the dwarf stopped him with his giant axe. Oropher drew his sword out.

"How dare you."

"You have not answered my question yet." The dwarf said rising.

"I am the king, I do not take orders from dwarves." Oropher said flaring up. The elf swung his sword at the dwarf but he ducked.

"Guards!" Oropher called out. Three Guards dashed in and they saw what was happening. They grabbed the dwarf and carried him off to a dungeon (although it was not easy). Oropher walked out of the room and slammed the door shut. He sheathed his sword again and walked off to his chambers. Idril after seeing the dwarf being carried off wondered what had happened.

Cúthalion was nearing the edge of the forest. He could almost see the sunlight in the open meadows. He knew that the men would not harm him when they saw him but he pulled his hood over his head anyways and ripped his shirt to make him look more like a Northman. He walked on until he saw the sunlight. He squinted at it but he got used to it after a couple of minutes. He had never been out of the woods. He could see the smoke rising from the small cottages around the forest. The air smelled of metal. Some were practicing on training dummies; others were selling fruits and vegetables, crafting armour, and hunting. The houses were made of stone with clay shingles. The grass was green and there were horses grazing on it. There were children playing tag around the wells.

Cúthalion stepped into the light. He walked up to a forge and pulled out a sword that was lying in the hot coals. He examined it closely with great admiration.

"What are you doing with that?" a voice called from behind Cúthalion. He spun around.

"I-I-I was just looking." Cúthalion said. And set it back in the hot coals. He pulled out the knife he had found in the forest and compared it with the sword that he just picked up, but it did not look like the ones of the men. He started to walk off but the man grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back "Who are you?"

Cúthalion yanked away and pulled out the knife. "How dare you?"

He held the knife to the man's throat. "We don't take strangers the man growled.

"You don't, well I should just kill you and be done with it then." Cúthalion snapped back.

"If you do that you will have to pay, and I don't mean in gold either." The man let out a gasp for Cúthalion was jabbing the knife into his neck. Although it was blunt it still did damage. Cúthalion's gentle mind was turning on him. He dropped the knife and without thinking he wacked the man with his fist. The blood gushed out of his mouth. The man's face was covered in blood by the time he had fallen over. Cúthalion pulled him back to his feet but not in a helping way but to give him some more. Cúthalion let his fist fly into the man's stomach again and again and again. The man keeled over, without any sense at all. Cúthalion smeared the blood on the man's shirt. Bent over the limp body and felt his pulse: the man was still breathing but barely. Cúthalion picked his knife up and wiped in on his shirt. He put it in his pocket and left the man on the ground. He walked over to the well were the children remained playing their usual games. He drew up a bucket of water and poured it on himself, letting the blood drip off of him. He shivered even though the sun was out there was still a cold breeze. His cloths were dripping while he sat down in a corner. For a moment he thought he saw a movement in the forest, but he blinked and it was gone.

What was I thinking to leave the safety of Mirkwood? Why did I ever pay any heed to that dream? Why did I do that to that man? Cúthalion thought. He wished he had never done any of that. Tears came from his eyes but he blinked them back. His blood stained shirt was stuck to his thin body. He closed his eyes tight as to forget what had happened.

"Wake up, wake up." Cúthalion heard a faint voice call. He opened his eyes and saw a broad figure standing above him; it was the forger he had beaten. "Oh little elf we have a surprise for you." The forger said and with that he pulled Cúthalion to his feet as he had done to the forger. Cúthalion felt a fist in his chest and he let out a sob. It felt of when Elwing had kicked him. He wanted to fight back but he could barely breathe. His component pushed him into a door. It flung open and Cúthalion lay on the cold stone floor. A woman screamed from behind him and fled to the attic. Cúthalion saw a wood cutter's axe and immediately seized it and swung it at the attacker. He jumped back just before it would have chopped his leg in two.

"Aha got some spirit I see." The man laughed.

"You haven't beaten me yet." Cúthalion exclaimed. He heaved himself up with all his strength. Cúthalion was angry now and realized how much he hated that man. He dropped the axe and pulled out his knife. It came in handy even though it was just a small knife. He jabbed it into the man's leg. The man let out a yell of pain and started to run towards his forge. Cúthalion did not follow but stared at the forest; the bushed were shaking and there were yellow eyes coming from in between the bushes. He did not move but stood stalk still. Moments later at least thirty wolves dashed out of the forest. They were enormous; they had grey fur and long white pointed teeth. In front of them he saw the queen that he had sent a bolt of lightning at and sent her with her tail behind her legs howling, but this time it was not her time to run but his. The queen wolf was coming straight at him. He bolted toward the nearest house and jumped inside. What am I going to do? I must think of something, he thought looking for a torch. It was dark so there would be one somewhere. He saw a light and ran over to he grabbed the torch and ran over to the door. He opened it and closed it again, but he knew he must do something so he dashed out the door toward the angry wolves. He felt his knife bouncing around in his pocket just waiting to be used. Cúthalion swung his torch at a wolf and it lit it on fire. The wolf dashed here and there trying to get the fire off. Cúthalion did this several times. People were screaming and others were being some use and helping. Cúthalion saw the queen wolf about to grab a woman. She had only a dagger but was swinging away madly. Cúthalion took his little knife out and flung it the queen. It hit her in the haunch. The knife barely even directed her attention. She turned towards him and let out a long piercing howl as if she was laughing at him. She trotted towards him licking her chops. Cúthalion drew his bow and sent an arrow right through her front leg. She howled in pain but it just made her angrier. She sprung at him but he sent another arrow that she dodged easily. His last arrow went flying towards the wolf and went straight through her thick skull. The queen of the wolves keeled over dead. Cúthalion sprinted towards his knife and grabbed before anyone could see it. Most of the wolves were dead but still some remained and there were bodies scattered around the open land. Cúthalion was swinging his torch frantically as to set afire to all that dared come near him. Luckily there no men near him so he did not have to worry about hurting them.

There was one wolf left and Cúthalion was rushing over to kill it but before he could it loped off into the forest. He did not care that it escaped for he was exhausted. People were trying to cure the wounded. The dead were mourned and buried whilst others were discussing why the wolves had come. Cúthalion had not thought about it but now he realized why. The man that he fatally wounded was lying outside of a house, but he did not seem to be in any worse condition then were Cúthalion had left him.

Cúthalion, like the others did not want trouble amidst the men and elves but he would not have a man try to eradicate him. The lives that were spent on his behalf were enough for him for he did not want anything to do with any of it. He wanted to live his life normally like he should or be an outlaw among the men and dwarves but to be in service to the elves in their time of need. His feelings for the men when he was in the stable were entirely different than they were now. Now he disliked them in every way for the cost they would make him pay, but he would not be put in bars for the rest of his life if it meant more death at his own hand.

Idril sat in the corner of Oropher's room waiting for response to her question. He paced the room for some sort of answer. "He should have minded his own business if he did not want to be thrown in bars for the rest of his damned life." Oropher sat down next to Idril.

"Give them what they want my lord," she said. "And they will leave us alone, and when have elves needed gold?" Oropher looked like he was going to slap her.

"I will not give into them. Now if you don't mind I wish to have a bit of thinking time, ALONE." He said rather loudly for Idril had given him a look that meant; I think it would be better if stayed. She left the room without another word, but instead of going to attend the horses in Cúthalion's place she went dungeons below. She crept down the stairs for only the guards were aloud there. The only movement she heard was the scuttling of the rats and the prisoners moaning. Idril knowing full well the consequences of getting caught helping a prisoner but she took no heed. The dungeons were pitch black, except for the faint torches in the back. She looked for the dwarf who had just recently been thrown into a small dungeon. Her eyes fell on a small, but sturdy, figure staring at her curiously. She walked over to him and realized it was a dwarf, but not the dwarf she was looking for. He looked very young. His hair was blonde. He hardly had a beard at all. His hair was braided into three prongs with golden ties secured into place. His clothes were made of jagged fabric. The young dwarf's sunken pale blue eyes bored into Idril's.

"Who are you?" she asked gruffly. The young dwarf was inaudible.

"I mean you no arm, promise." She said more sympathetically to him, but still he said nothing. The young dwarf limped up to the bars but still said nothing.

"Why are you here?" she tried again, but this time the young dwarf looked her straight in the eyes. "Why are all these prisoners here? Because these dammed elves lock us up. I would think an elf like yourself would apprehend that." The dwarf said coldly. Idril looked slight taken aback by the coldness in his tone for he looked like a kind dwarf, but she knew the stubbornness of dwarves.

"Yes, well I-I….." she sputtered but could not find the words. "I was just trying to help." She said finally. The dwarf's brow rose high in curiosity.

" and what would an elf or worse a servant of Oropher want with me as to be so kind" the dwarf said sarcastically" as to help a prisoner, eh?" the young dwarf said quietly.

"Well…. I was actually looking for someone else but-" she was cut off by the dwarf.

"But what? You got lost in your endless line of prisoners you take for good sport and you saw me and decided you wanted to have a little bit of fun, eh? Just to see the pain in their faces when you are finished and then when they wish they were dead you pity them and send them back to their cells to rot for the rest of their life." The dwarf spat. Idril stared eyes wide at him wildly. She finally regained her thoughts. Idril stepped back a few steps.

"For Aulë's sake, what are you talking about?" she said wildly.

"Ha, I think you know." The dwarf shot a cold glance at her. "And when you said you were going to help, what did you mean by that?" the young dwarf grinned at her.

I-I…." Idril could not find the right words.

"Well I just thought you were going to help me, well, get out." He said sarcastically. Idril turned around and was about to leave when she was stopped by the young dwarf's voice "wait. Please help me. I have been in here for far too long." He pleaded.

"It is not in a dwarf's nature to beg is it?" Idril said coldly. But she softened for she felt the young dwarf's pleading eyes on her. She turned to face him once more. She nodded to him and left without another word. She headed straight for her chambers to get the one thing that would help the young dwarf.


End file.
